Prosodic Features of Non-native English Production

This study investigated the prosodic features of non-native spoken English. Sixteen recordings were extracted from an in-progress test-based learner corpus, each consisted of read-aloud and question-and-answer parts by a learner who had received a grade of 3 (passing) or 5 (highest) on a five-point scale. A group of 8 native speakers was recruited and recorded under the same test scenario as a control. Labeling followed the English ToBI convention. Results showed that liaisons only occurred among native speakers; non-native speakers were in general less fluent and assigned more tones in their production. In read speech, both non-native groups showed a high level of consistency in assigning BI4s at appropriate places; however, nativeness made a difference in the preference for tone types.